Wedding Bells
by MadeToBeBroken17
Summary: Three years later, a wedding is finally taking place. Except they weren't meant to be together.


**After all these years, I'm still rooting for these two. **

* * *

Nick stood in a hotel room, filled with lavish furniture with modern, contemporary decor. He stood, facing a mirror, adjusting his bowtie and straightening his tux jacket. Staring at his reflection, he let out a deep sigh. Despite all the brilliant colors and the natural light that flooded the room through the large windows, the room felt dreary and cramped to him. He tried to force a smile as he looked at himself, but his eyes were as dead as before.

It was Nick's wedding day. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. The day when he would finally be able to prove his commitment to his one true love. But he wasn't happy. He wasn't even close.

* * *

Miley was sitting at her desk, tapping her foot impatiently. She had long grown out of her days of being the teenage "princess of pop" Hannah Montana, trading in her wig for a diploma. Currently, she was working as the head of a record label, managing all the business of the company while still being able to work in the industry that she loved.

She shuffled papers around on her desk, re-straightening everything and constantly glancing at her phone impatiently. She was done with work for the day and could leave whenever she wanted to, but she couldn't get herself to stand up and walk out the door. She pulled out her phone one last time. 5:28 PM. No new texts. She wasn't entirely sure what she was waiting for. A text from him saying he called off the wedding? A text from him saying he wanted her back? She was a very grounded, realistic person, and the chances of that was 0%.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a cream envelope with her name and address written in beautiful calligraphy. Inside contained a notecard with fancy cursive lettering and a swirly, feminine border. _Nick Jonas and Mikayla Skeech. Thursday, June 15, 2013. 6:00 PM. _She sighed again, staring at the card until her eyes hurt. Finally, she gathered her things, grabbed her coat, and walked out of her office.

A million thoughts were running through her mind. She knew that if she went to the wedding, she would lose her mind and that it would quite possibly be the most painful thing she would ever do. However, she also knew that she needed to go for that final closure. To know that there really was no more chance for them. That they really were truly finished.

She walked into her house and opened her closet door, searching for the right outfit. She settled on a light teal summer dress with an open back, pairing it with white Louboutins and silver chandelier earrings. Her brunette hair with natural highlights was already curled into loose waves, her makeup already done from earlier in the day. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, making sure she looked as good as she possibly could. She smiled a small smile, but her eyes seemed hollow as if she was an empty shell.

Looking at the clock one last time, she hurried to her new Tesla and started the engine before driving toward the hotel where the ceremony was occurring.

She arrived at the hotel, handing over her keys to the valet before walking nervously into the lobby. She immediately saw the large photo of Nick and Mikayla by the doors of the ballroom where the ceremony would be taking place. The first punch in the gut. She quickly turned around and walked as far away as she could from that area, wandering through the halls absentmindedly. Not paying attention to where she was, she saw a door slightly opened and pushed it open, hoping for a quiet room where she could sit down and breathe before facing the biggest challenge of her life.

He was still looking in the mirror when he saw a female figure fill up the background space in the mirror. His eyes widened in shock and he whipped around as quickly as he could.

"Miley?" He managed to choke out.

_Shit. Shit shit shit shit shittt. _The only words running through her mind. "I'm so so sorry I didn't mean to intrude I just wanted-I'll leave now. I'm so sorry," she said rapidly, her face burning.

"Wait no. Please don't go," he whispered.

She froze in her tracks, her eyes avoiding his.

"Please. I need you here right now," he continued, his eyes pleading. He felt safe when she was around. He felt sane, like he could withstand anything. He needed her more than ever today, while he was freaking out about his future marriage.

"Nick, it's hard enough just being here. Please don't ask anymore of me," she replied quietly.

He didn't know what to say. He knew this would be hard on her and he was being selfish. Nonetheless, he needed her. "Miles, please..." he pleaded.

"You'll be okay Nick. You really will be. You'll get through this without any problems. Mikayla really is a lucky girl," Miley said softly, turning and walking out the door.

"You look beautiful, as you always do," Nick replied in an equally soft voice. She paused briefly to absorb every word, a tear rolling down her cheek before she left the room.

She rushed to the ballroom, doing the best she could to look cheerful and excited for the big moment. All his family and many of her friends were attending the event, and she didn't want to bring down the mood by sulking. She faked a smile as she greeted everyone, mingling with them as everyone talked about how the happy couple was "finally tying the knot" and how "perfect they are for each other." Each sentence was another punch to the gut.

As everyone began to return to their seats, she was left standing with Nick's parents and brothers.

"I guess it's time to take our seats. I'll see you after the reception," Miley said politely. It was the first time she had seen them since the break-up three years ago.

"To be honest honey, we're still rooting for you and Nick," Mrs. Jonas smiled quietly so only they heard. The three brothers all nodded subtly in agreement before leaving to find their last brother.

That sentence was somewhere between a punch in the gut and a swam of butterflies erupting in her stomach.

She chose a seat in the back corner of the room, hoping to go unnoticed during the ceremony. At least her tears could be mistaken by everyone for tears of joys.

The final seconds before the doors opened were the slowest of her life. Finally, the grand doors opened and the music started playing. First came Nick, his parents on both sides of him, their arms linked. They walked together down the aisle before his parents broke off to take their seats in the front row and Nick at the altar. They were followed by the ring bearer and flower girl who sprinkled pink rose petals over the white satin pathway along with a euphonious chorus of "awww"s from the crowd. Each bridesmaid and groomsman walked down arm in arm, each donning pink gowns and classic tuxes with black slim ties, ending with Joe and Mikayla's maid of honor.

Suddenly, the entire room rose to their feet, prepared to admire the bride's beauty as she walked down the aisle. She slowly glided forward, arms linked with her father. She was wearing a rather luxurious, expensive gown with a bodice that was lined with crystals and a skirt with a semi-cathedral train. Her veil was also long, with a lace trim. Her hair was curled and pinned up to perfection, a crystal headband keeping her veil intact. She looked gorgeous.

As she watched Mikayla walk down the aisle with her face glowing with happiness, it was another punch to her stomach. She refused to look at Nick; she knew if she saw that same look on his face, she would break down beyond repair.

* * *

He stood at the altar, taking deep breaths, waiting to see Mikayla. He had scanned the crowd and found Miley's face in the crowd. That flawless, natural beauty. He mentally shook his head, thing _No. You're marrying Mikayla, remember? _As each one of his brothers joined him at the altar, they gave him a reassuring pat on the back. As everyone rose to their feet to see Mikayla walk out, his eyes focused on her, all dressed in white walking toward him. His breath caught in his throat, but it wasn't the same feeling when he had seen Miley earlier in the day. He knew that everyone was supposed to disappear from the room and he wasn't supposed to be able to take his eyes of her. But he couldn't help himself. As she was walking, his eyes darted back to Miley to see how she reacted. To see if she was okay. To see if they were truly finished.

Mikayla finally reached him, beaming at him. This was it. This was actually happening.

* * *

She watched as he turned away from the guests to face Mikayla, his mouth stretching into a smile. Another punch. The officiate began the ceremony and everything began to become real. A thousand punches. The walls started caving in, her heart and breath started to quicken, and everything started morphing into one large blur. She felt nauseous and felt like she would pass out if she didn't get out of there. She didn't want to be rude and barge out of the wedding, but she couldn't take it. She thought she was strong enough to survive through it, but she was unbelievably wrong. She tried exit the room unnoticed, using the large flower arrangements as shields as she almost ran out of a side door in the back. She walked as fast as she could across the lobby, following signs that pointed to a large courtyard. When she finally made it out of the building, she inhaled deeply to get fresh air and to attempt to calm herself down. She began walking through the hedges and flowers, trying to clear her mind and forget about everything she just saw, but flashes of Mikayla in a wedding dress and Nick by her side kept haunting her.

* * *

The officiate was spouting out all the common lines said during a wedding ceremony, and he was unaware of anything being said. His mind was racing as doubts and second thoughts constantly appeared, never fully being pushed out. He kept glancing at Miley and deep down, he knew that he wasn't supposed to be standing there. Deep down, he knew this was all wrong.

Deep down, Mikayla knew it too. Standing up there, she could see in his eyes that his heart wasn't in it. She could see that he was in love, but not with her. Deep down, Mikayla knew that their passion had been waning, and the wedding was their last effort to try and reignite it. Deep down, Mikayla knew they weren't meant to be together.

She watched as Nick's eyes darted to Miley again, before flickering back with a forced smile. At the same time, they saw Miley stand up and hurry out of the room. They both saw, and in that instant, they both knew. In that moment, he knew that all he wanted was to hold Miley, to comfort her and tell her everything would be okay because he was there. In that moment, she knew that that was all he wanted, and that really she wanted that for him too. For him to be happy. And for her to be happy.

Mikayla smiled softly and whispered to him, "Nick...go get her."

Nick, taken aback, replied, "W-what?"

Mikayla responded, "We aren't meant to be. We both know it. We're trying to force something that isn't right. But you two have what I wish we had. What I wish I could find with someone."

Nick said remorsefully, "I'm so sorry Mikayla. I know this isn't what you expected. It's not what I expected either."

Mikayla smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it Nick. I know we'll still be friends. You two deserve this though. Go get her. I'll handle our guests. Oh, and good luck Nick."

Nick hugged Mikayla, causing the officiate to pause in confusion and the crowd to start whispering. He said quietly, "You really are an amazing person Mikayla, and I really do care about you. I honestly know that you will find someone who can make you happier than I ever could." He gave her a small smile before running down the aisle and out the doors into the lobby, stopping at the front desk.

"Have you seen a girl, brown hair, teal dress?" He asked between breaths.

"Yes sir, she went out towards the courtyard," the concierge replied.

Nick sprinted in that direction, bursting through the doors to the courtyard. He slowed down, trying to catch his breath as he searched for her in the maze of plants. After walking around for a couple of minutes, he turned a corner and found himself face-to-face with her. Tears were streaming down her face, staining her cheeks. She quickly tried to wipe them away, trying to maintain a strong facade. He looked down at her, tears welling up in his eyes as well.

They stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, both unsure of what to say.

Finally, he broke the silence. "You ran out on me."

She didn't know what to think. A million emotions flew through her, but anger was the most prevalent. "I _ran out _on you?! Do you know how torturous that was? Watching you face the love of your life, watching you profess your love for another girl, just wishing, hoping, _dreaming _that you were looking at me and not her." She yelled at him, unable to control herself.

He smiled at her, ecstatic to hear that she did in fact still love him. That she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. "You ran out on me," he repeated, still smiling.

She thought her head would explode. "Why are you smiling? I literally couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't function correctly for the past three years let alone today, and you're smiling? Why aren't you with Mikayla right now? Why aren't you at the ceremony?" She couldn't think straight. She knew she wasn't making any sense logically, but she was saying whatever came to mind. No filter anymore.

He simply responded, quietly this time, "You ran out on me..." She opened her mouth to scream at him again, but he cut her off this time, "And I'm never letting you do that to me ever again," He finished before pulling her in for a deep, passionate kiss.

When he kissed her, her mind suddenly stopped spinning and her heartbeat quickened once again.

Bliss.

They finally pulled away and she rested her head against his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around her protectively. He whispered to her, "I love you Miley Stewart. Nothing and no one will ever change that."

There were a lot of things that still needed to be worked out, but in that moment, everything was perfect. They were finally where they belonged. Together.


End file.
